Cash-for-votes: BJP demands PM, Sonia`s apology

BJP president Nitin Gadkari Friday
said PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the nation for the "political conspiracy" under which BJP whistle-blowers were jailed in the
cash-for-vote scam.

Bhopal: BJP president Nitin Gadkari Friday
said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the nation for the "political conspiracy" under which BJP whistle-blowers were jailed in the
cash-for-vote scam.

Addressing a press conference here, Gadkari, who is on a day`s visit to the city, alleged the Congress had purchased 19 MPs to save UPA-1 during the trust vote in July 2008.
Gadkari said though Singh enjoyed the image of being a
clean person, it was impossible that people could be sent to
prison without his knowledge or consent.

The BJP president said he had known Sudheendra Kulkarni,
former aide of LK Advani, for the last 30 years and it was
improbable that a man like him could be involved in any wrong
doing.

Pointing out that the Delhi High Court had made several
comments on the manner in which people had been implicated in
the cash-for-vote scam, he said BJP will raise the issue
across the country.

On July 22, 2008, some BJP MPs had waved wads of currency
notes on the floor of Lok Sabha during the trust vote faced by
the UPA-I government, alleging they were given the money to
vote in favour of the government.

Asked if Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would
campaign for BJP in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he said
plans would be made for polls only after they were announced.

He said Chief Minister Mayawati`s announcement to divide
Uttar Pradesh into four states, was only a "gimmick" as she
was aware that she would lose the upcoming elections.

"In any case new states are not formed through
announcements by Chief Ministers but only by referring the
matter to the State Re-organisation Commission," he said.

To a query, Gadkari said he had no ambitions of becoming
Prime Minister and was content being an ordinary worker of the
BJP.